1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to locking pliers, more particularly to locking pliers with a releasing lever that is configured in such a manner so as to protect the user's fingers from being pinched by the releasing lever.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional locking pliers include a stationary front jaw, a stationary handle extending rearwardly from the stationary front jaw, a movable front jaw disposed below and aligned with the stationary front jaw and pivoted to the stationary handle, a movable handle pivoted to and extending rearwardly from the movable front jaw, an adjusting screw rod engaging threadedly a rear end of the stationary handle and having a rear end portion that extends outwardly from the rear end of the stationary handle, a locking lever pivoted to the movable handle and extending rearwardly and upwardly therefrom toward the rear end of the stationary handle to abut against a front end of the adjusting screw rod, a biasing member interconnecting the movable front jaw and the stationary handle, and a releasing lever pivoted to the movable handle and having a protrusion that protrudes therefrom to abut against the locking lever. In operation, the relative position between the stationary front jaw and the movable front jaw is adjusted by turning the adjusting screw rod so as to hold an object between the stationary front jaw and the movable front jaw. The movable front jaw is subsequently moved toward the stationary front jaw to tightly clamp the object therebetween by forcefully bringing the movable handle and the stationary handle together. The movable front jaw and the stationary front jaw remain locked until the movable handle and the stationary handle are forcefully separated by pivoting the releasing lever upwardly toward the adjusting screw rod.
The releasing lever has a rear end portion disposed below and aligned with a rear end portion of the adjusting screw rod such that when the releasing lever is pivoted upwardly toward the adjusting screw rod, the rear end portion of the releasing lever and the rear end portion of the adjusting screw rod cooperate with each other to define a gap therebetween. Since the rear end portion of the releasing lever has a U-shaped cross-section, which is cut along a transverse direction relative to the length of the releasing lever, and has a width that is about the same as the diameter of the rear end portion of the adjusting screw rod, there is a tendency for the fingers of the user to be pinched by the releasing lever when the releasing lever is pivoted upwardly toward the adjusting screw rod to unlock the movable front jaw and the stationary front jaw.